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Chapter 12 Pt.I
"Americans at Rest"

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Arthur headed back to where their group once was, only to find that Willow had stayed behind. As they returned, she shrugged and smirked. "There's no way I'm sitting next to that old man back to camp, I can hear the other guys from here. They're in the bar, c'mon then!"

Tulip, hesitant to even step onto the wooden platform on the front of the saloon, did anyway. She lowered the brim of her hat. Willow looked at her while Arthur checked on the corner of his eye, the mute woman only nodded. They strolled into the old building, worn from time, and had a cracked edges of a sign telling that it served some kind of chili.

They could pick up excited chuckles and amused laughter, " 'nother round!" A familiar voice belonging to Javier beckoned inside. "Bien! Haha, ey! Alright, there we go."

Tulip couldn't help but have a ghostly mask of amusement on her face. She wasn't the only one either.

Walking in, their appearance didn't go unnoticed, they must seem like strange folks to the men and women in the bar. Tulip and Willow immediately went to a table at a corner near the windows as Arthur went to Javier and Charles, who were surrounded by two ladies. "This is a terrible idea, I just know it - from experience." Willow whispered, Tulip intentionally trying to sink away from anyone's view.

"Mhm." She gave a long hum, emphasizing the point as the two women tried flirting with Arthur it seemed.

Tulip tried to best to hide her laugh, "Well ain't you just the tough as teak mountain man?"

The other with black hair smiled, "Oh you be quiet, Anastasia...anyone can tell this one's a pussy cat."

Javier chimed in, "Exactly, yes he's a pussy...cat. Ain't that so, Arthur?"

"Whatever you say..." Willow leaned in to hear what Arthur's comeback would be. "How much you cost, anyway?"

The one in orange crossed her arms, "Well, ain't that a nice way to talk to a lady?"

"Oh? I didn't know I was talking to a lady."

Then, that was when they grimaced in annoyance and stated, "Excuse me." Then they both took their leave. Charles was trying to keep one of them from leaving, but it was really no use.

"What a way to talk to women, huh? If you did that to Grimshaw..." Willow snickered.

"A regular dandy and charmer." Charles added, he stumbled a bit looking sluggish to Tulip. He must've drank quite a bit.

"I'd be a dead man, that's for sure." Arthur shook his head, imagining what horrors that terrifyingly firm woman would bring.

Tulip spelled out to Willow as usual. "She's askin' where that dumb, idiot Bill is, fellers."

"Oh man, I dread to think about it." Javier took a shot as the piano's music echoed around the room, men being busy and women being busy with men.

"Nevermind that, found him." Willow pointed out as they all turned to the man of the hour. "He gon' kiss or punch him?" Bill had some random person by the collar, then he proceeded to headbutt him, Tulip caught a glimpse of red on their face.

"Oh, we have our answer."

Then, a loud crash and shattering sound of glass broke the calm, chairs were being scooted, tables began to split and break, and people were yelling as the ladies of the saloon ran someplace else! "We got ourselves a bar fight, boys!!"

"Argh! Whugh in thugh?!- " Tulip felt a sharp sting on her back as she turned and gave a heavy uppercut to whoever was behind her.

"Let's shoot these fools!"

"Oh, come on, we can handle these fools!"

"Come here!"

With a giant mess and racket and chaos and ear-splitting sounds all mixing into one bigger mess, it was somewhat hard to keep track of what anyone was saying unless it was direct towards them. Glass were like gunshots and shrapnel, flying all over the place and walls. As Willow was stuck in a hold, Tulip pried the man off of her and slammed him into the wall, cracking the window. "Thanks!" The blonde kicked him out cold.

"Goddamn, come over here!!" Arthur released a one-two, throwing someone who was groaning in pain next to Tulip's muddy boots.

She only managed to smile for a moment, because her enjoyment was interrupted by someone harshly shoving her. "Sorry, amiga!" Javier laughed as he was in his own little scuffle.

"It's not kind for a man to hit a woman." Charles, being most likely the strongest out of the gang, jabbed with such force, it was like a brick for a hand! The man fell to the floor, his face bruised red and was just taken aback by how hard that impact was.

"Need a hand here!" Bill, lacking usage of his own brain, underestimated and thought he would take on 3 men at once, but was being tackled and battered by them.

Tulip didn't hold back as she gave an almighty kick to the back of their legs, making one of them fools howl in pain as Willow and Arthur fought off the rest attacking Bill Williamson.

"What the hell is goin' on down here?!" A booming, new voice roared from the stairs as loud footsteps pounded the floors. The man emerging into view as he stormed down was a bulking mass of muscle, he could completely tower over most men.

"No, Tommy, stay outta this!"

"Great."

"Come here ya little greaser..." Javier actually stepped back, and for once, he did not want to pick a fight with a burly men like him.

Another brawler grappled Arthur from behind, Willow got fed up and managed to find a whiskey bottle, picked it up, and bashed it right on the dome of the attacker!

"Uhn..." With a few stumbling steps, his arms stopped restraining Arthur and he fell flat on the floor.

"Thanks."

Willow gave an energetic nod.

"Javier could use some help, Morgan!" Most of the men were now unconscious, Charles had one up against a wall, Tulip stomped one, and Willow dusted off her hands.

Javier was busy having his face bashed onto a table as Arthur didn't waste time giving a quick powerful jab to Tommy, making him drop Javier and turning to Arthur. "Hey, tough guy!"

Javier was on the ground gasping for breath, Tommy was lifting Arthur up by his own shirt after they traded heavy punches. Tulip quickly pointed to something, prompting Willow to toss Tulip a brown, broken bottle.

*bam!*

"Urgh!" He flinched from the pain. "You damn whore!!"

Being a monstrous man made of muscle that he is, Tommy threw Arthur to the side and against a table, he started running towards Tulip! "Oh no..."

She gritted her teeth and all in the next moment, her whole world became a flash and blur and a rush!

*PSHH!!*

Shattered pieces flew all around her! Tumbling on something hard, her back stinging even more from the messy barfight, and then she was rolling into the mud, half her face covered in it. Tulip groaned in misery, having been tackled out of the cracked window like she was rammed by a raging bull. "Damn..."

She felt her familiar hat topple off someplace else, Arthur yelled, "Hey! Don't you dare lay yer dirty hands on her!"

"You want some too, huh? Come on, pretty boy..."

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A/N: Onto next part!

Deleted sentence:

Tulip groaned in misery, having been tackled out of the cracked window like she was rammed by a raging bull. "Damn..." She was sure she had real lumbago this time.

Published:

Tue, Oct. 15th, 2019